Filtration and dispensing device and method for a liquid

Abstract: Known techniques for the filtration of biological liquids, such as centrifugation, are expensive as they require specialised apparatus to carry them out. Described herein is a simple apparatus and method which filters a biological liquid, such as whole blood, and then allows the filtered liquid to be applied to a diagnostic test element. The apparatus comprises a container (2) having contained filters (10, 12) and into which a quantity of biological liquid is added for separation and retention of a quantity of the sample. The container (2) has an exterior surface (14) wettable with the filtered sample to collect the same, and a cover (16) for preventing significant evaporation of the wetted filter surface (14), the cover (16, 18, 20, 22, 24) including a movable transfer element for transferring filtered and collected liquid from the wetted surface (14) and delivering the liquid to a test element by contact.

Description: This invention relates to a filtration and dispensing device and method of using such a device in the field of clinical diagnostic analyzers and is more particularly concerned with the filtering and transferring of a patient sample on to a test element. In the field of testing of liquid analytes, particularly those using the so-called dried chemistry technology, a quantity of patient liquid is dispensed on to a test slide element having at least one dried reagent layer with which the liquid interacts to produce a detectable signal for sensing the analyte of interest. It has been required with clinical diagnostic analyzers, such as those manufactured by Eastman Kodak Company under the trademark "EKTACHEM™", which use the dried chemistry assay approach, that serum be separated from the whole blood sample prior to testing of the sample. Techniques for performing the separation are known and typically require centrifugation of a liquid sample to separate the heavier phase, (for example, that portion carrying the red blood cells), from the lighter phase, (for example, serum). These separation techniques are expensive in that they require a centrifuge, or other apparatus, to perform the separation. In addition, these techniques are time consuming in that they are usually performed off-line and separate from the analyzer prior to testing of the filtered sample. Alternatively, there are known filtering techniques in which a quantity of patient liquid is added to one end of a filter and separated. The filtered liquid then directly passes into a container for holding the filtered liquid from whence the liquid can be aspirated into a conventional pipette tip for metering on to a test element. Alternatively, the separated liquid may be retained at one end of the filter after being passed therethrough. There are associated problems with each described technique. In the first described method, additional processing steps are required to first collect the filtered liquid and subsequently to aspirate it into a tip for dispensing. In addition, using multiple pipette tips and containers increases the number of disposables. There are also a number of potential problems associated with the metering of a sample, filtered or otherwise, using conventional point source deposition methods. In the most common point source method, the pipette tip approach, a predetermined quantity of liquid is dispensed from the orifice of a pipette tip suspended a short distance above the test element. The point source delivers the liquid in the form of a droplet which strikes the test element in a localized area. Biological liquids, such as serum, however, vary in terms of their spreadability (diffusivity) horizontally across a test element surface. For example, a patient sample having a higher concentration of lipids, or lipo-proteins, will not spread as easily as one with a lower concentration due to its higher viscosity. The inability to spread, and further the inability of some liquids to spread homogeneously, may produce inaccuracies in the detection of an analyte of interest. The accurate dispensing of the liquid on to the surface of a test element is also dependent upon a number of other factors, such as adhesion of the liquid to the tip, flow characteristics of the tip nozzle, the distance of the tip from the test element, the air flow in the vicinity of the tip, and so forth. Spreading layers typically provided for in the chemistry portion of a test element provide for horizontal as well as vertical diffusivity across the dried reagent layer(s); however, it is possible that the spreading will not be homogenous. In addition, the manufacture of a porous spreading layer to horizontally distribute the sample droplet is expensive. In the second filtering technique described above, there are also a number of associated problems. Firstly, a predetermined quantity of patient liquid cannot be dispensed directly from the wetted end of a filter without potentially flooding the test element. Typically, it is required for only 10µl of liquid to be dispensed to the test surface area of a test element. In addition, liquid collected at the wetted end of a filter is prone to excessive contact with the atmosphere causing some of the collected liquid to evaporate prematurely, and require an excess of biological liquid be used. 100-A-90/10869 discloses a container for fittering and dispensives a biological liquid, comprising a body portion with an entrance opening and an exit opening, filter means disposed between the entrance and exit with a surface adjacent the exit and wettable with the filtered liquid. A cover is provided for closing off access to the atmosphere. A transfer means is also provided for transferring liquid to a test element from the wettable surface. There has been a problem in providing a method of directly providing whole blood or other unfiltered patient liquid to an analyzer wherein the whole blood can be separated and then transferred on to the test surface of a test element with a minimum of processing steps. A further problem has been to provide a container for storing a patient sample from which a number of patient samples could be transferred to the surface of a test element without the need for additional disposable parts. An additional problem has been to control the amount of dispensed volume to the test element from a container having filtration means so that a generally uniform and thin layer is transferred directly without the necessity for horizontally flowing the sample as required with point source metering. Specifically, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for filtering a liquid and dispensing a quantity of filtered liquid on to a test surface of a test element, the method comprising the steps of:- a) adding a liquid to filter means at a first end thereof; b) causing the liquid to pass through the filter means to an opposite end which is wetted by the filtered liquid; characterized in that the method further includes the steps of:- c) temporarily closing off access to the wetted end by the atmosphere; d) transferring at least some of the filtered liquid on the wetted end to an applicator; and e) applying liquid on the applicator to the test element. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a container for filtering and dispensing a biological liquid comprising :- a body portion having an entrance opening and an exit opening; filter means disposed between the entrance opening and the exit opening, the filter means having a surface adjacent the exit opening and wettable with the filtered liquid; characterized in that the container further includes: a cover section for closing off access of the wetted surface from the atmosphere; and transfer means for transferring liquid from the wettable surface to a test element. By this arrangement, the filtered liquid is collected at the surface of the filter means adjacent the exit opening and transferred to a test element by direct contact using the transfer means. An advantageous feature of the invention is that no precise quantity of fluid is required to be aspirated or otherwise precisely delivered to the container; all that is necessary is that a quantity of fluid, sufficient to effectively coat a test element, be placed within the container. A further advantageous feature of the invention is that use of a container as herein described allows multiple tests to be performed while using the same container, thereby reducing the number of disposables, and provides a cheaper and improved means for delivering filtered liquid to a test element. Yet a further advantageous feature is that by delivering a quantity of liquid uniformly to the test surface area of a test element, without consideration of flow characteristics, a smaller quantity of liquid is required to effectively coat the test element and provide an adequate basis of detection, even in the extreme outer portions of the detection area. A still further advantageous feature of the present invention is that a surface dispersed quantity, as defined below, can be delivered to the test volume of a test element all at once, providing a relatively constant concentration level of liquid across the detection read area without significant washout of the dried chemistry or transient liquid flow after delivery. For a better understanding of the present invention, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 is a sectioned side elevational view of one embodiment according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a bottom partial cross-sectional view of the container illustrated in Figure 1 taken along the line 2-2; Figure 3 is an isometric view of the cover portion of the container illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 4 is an isometric perspective view, rotated 90°, of the container shown in Figure 1, showing the disengagement of the cover portion shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a partly sectioned side elevational view of the container illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 showing the filling of the container with a liquid to be filtered; Figure 6 is a partly sectioned side elevational view of the container shown in Figures 1 to 5 illustrating the disengagement of the cover portion after transfer of liquid has occurred; Figure 7 is a partly sectioned side elevational view of the container illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 showing the removal of excess liquid material from the cover portion; Figure 8 is a sectioned side elevational view of the container illustrated in Figures 1 to 7 showing the orientation of the cover portion prior to the dispensing of liquid on to a test element; and Figure 9 is a sectioned side elevational view of the container assembly shown in Figures 1 to 8, illustrating the transfer of liquid on to a test element. The present invention is herein described in terms of the attached Figures. In the embodiments illustrated, reference is made to the terms "lower", "upper", "top", "bottom", and so forth. These descriptions are to more clearly describe the embodiments shown, but are not limiting to the views shown. In addition, the term "surface-dispersed quantity" means, a quantity in which the surface area/volume ratio is approximately 1:1, for example, if a 10µl volume has a 10mm 2 dispersed surface area and a 1mm thickness, its ratio is 1:1. Ratios of 9:10 or 11:10 are included here. Referring to Figure 1, there is provided a container, or cup 2, having sidewalls 4, and an interior portion 6. An entrance opening 7 is provided to allow liquid to enter container 2, as well as an oppositely disposed exit opening 8. Container 2 is preferably made from a lightweight plastic material such as polystyrene, though almost any liquid-impermeable material can be used. In the embodiment illustrated, container 2 has a cylindrical configuration, defining a circular cross-section, although either the configuration and/or cross-section can be easily varied for convenience. For example, in another preferred embodiment, container 2 can be constructed such that sidewalls 4 taper inwardly from the top opening of the container, (not shown) thereby defining a conical configuration to provide a more stable structure, as well as a larger surface area for separation of a biological liquid. Within interior portion 6 is at least one porous filter. In the embodiment illustrated, a first and a second filter, 10, 12, respectively, are provided, each preferably having a pore size of less than 3µm, for allowing liquid material to migrate therethrough, while retaining larger particulate matter, such as separated red blood cells. Each filter 10, 12 is sized to fit within interior portion 6 and is made from glass microfiber or cellulosic material, though other porous materials capable of filtering biological fluids may be used. In addition, the size and number of filters required may be varied to account for a number of other configurations other than the one herein described; for example, a single filter may be utilized, or a series of filters, each having differing pore sizes. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, second filter 12 is disposed directly beneath first filter 10 and has an exterior surface 14. Preferably, exterior surface 14 is recessed within exit opening 8, formed by lip 26 extending downwardly from sidewalls 4. Exterior surface 14 is capable of retaining filtered liquid and is preferably defined by a circular configuration having a diameter D1. Movably attached to the bottom of container 2 and adjacent exit opening 8 is a cover, or cap 16, having a first and a second end 18, and 20, respectively. Second end 20 is preferably defined by a back, or posterior surface 24, while first end 18 is defined by a liquid supporting anterior surface 22. Referring to Figures 1 and 3, first end 18 is defined preferably and substantially over the entirety of anterior surface 22 by a plurality of substantially parallel V-shaped grooves 28, as defined by equally spaced rib members 30. In the embodiment illustrated, each groove 28 is capable of supporting a quantity of liquid though alternate arrangements, with or without grooves, may be provided; for example, by providing grooves disposed in a diamond-like configuration, or by providing a textured surface (not shown) provided the surface is capable of supporting a liquid quantity thereon. In addition to the above, one or more equalization grooves, or cross-channels (not shown) can also be provided extending orthogonally to rib members 30 to avoid premature siphoning of liquid from surface 6. Disposed circumferentially about grooves 28 is a relatively thin ring-like section 32, made from a material, such as polypropylene with minimal protein adhesion, though other liquid-impermeable materials such as polymethacrylamine or copolymers with other acrylic amides or esters may be used. At the outer periphery 34 of first end 18, an annular edge 36 is provided which is recessed from surface 22 sufficiently so that when cover 16 is engaged with the remainder of container 2 surfaces 22 and 14 can be brought into contact with one another. Cover 16 is also preferably sized so that diameter D2, corresponding to anterior surface 22 is at least equal to diameter D1 of exterior surface 14. In the embodiment illustrated, D1 is equal to 6mm and D2 is equal to 5mm. A relatively good seal is therefore provided when cover 16 is engaged with the remainder of container 2, minimizing air contact with exterior surface 16, once attached thereto. Along the exterior of container 2 and disposed above cover 16 and extending outwardly therefrom is a knife-edge 44 used to remove excess liquid material from the cover once liquid has been transferred to liquid supporting surface 22. Referring to Figures 3 and 4, cover 16 is movably attached to the remainder of container 2 by a pair of telescopic arms 38 oppositely positioned along the exterior of sidewalls 4. In the embodiment illustrated, arms 38 are pivotably mounted to cover 16 at mount 42, creating a first pivot axis -A-, and to sidewalls 4 at mount 40, creating a second pivot axis -B-. Each mount 40, 42 provides a bearing surface allowing cover 16 and arms 38, respectively, to rotate about axes -A- and -B-, though almost any form of pivoting means may be provided. By also allowing arms 38 to be extendable, adequate clearance is provided to allow cover 16 to be rotatable about pivot axis -A-when extended to length L1, Figure 4, without contacting the remainder of container 2, while also allowing cover 16 to remain attached thereto. Other means for attaching to container 2, however, can be provided. Alternatively, cover 16 can be made fully removable from container 2 without the need for any attachment means. One embodiment of the operation of the described container 2 is shown in Figures 5 to 9. Referring to Figure 5, a quantity of an unseparated biological liquid 46, such as whole blood, is added by any conventional dispensing means, such as by pipetting (not shown) to container 2. As liquid 46 migrates through interior portion 6, the larger and heavier constituents 48, such as the red blood cells, are trapped within the pores of filters 10 and 12, respectively, while the remainder, or lighter phase of the liquid, continues to migrate downwardly under the force of gravity. The pores in filters 10, 12 are sufficiently large for allowing filtered liquid 46 to pass therethrough, wetting porous exterior surface 14. Note that exterior surface 14, now glutted with filtered liquid 46, vertically expands along sidewalls 4 due to the corresponding increase in volume. Preferably during the filling operation, cover 16 stays in contact with the remainder of container 2. This allows access to exterior surface 14 to be substantially closed to the atmosphere, preventing premature evaporation of filtered liquid 46 prior to transfer. Cover 16 is then preferably disengaged a nominal vertical distance, L2, from the remainder of container 2, by extending telescopic arms 38. In the embodiment illustrated, L2 is roughly 0.5mm, Figure 5, though the particular disengagement length is not critical. Cover 16, is then re-engaged with container 2 by retracting telescopic arms 38, thereby placing surfaces 14 and 22 respectively, into contact with one another, surface 14 now having been glutted with liquid. Disengaging and re-engaging cover 16 as described allows air to be evacuated from grooves 28, thereby providing a site for transferring a portion of liquid 46 from wetted filter surface 14 to anterior liquid supporting surface 22. The small amount of air evacuated from grooves 28 is vented outward of container 2 at the edges between contacting surfaces 14, 22 in that the contact is not a perfect seal due to the porosity of filter material, though small vent holes (not shown) may be alternately supplied. Liquid migrating to anterior surface 22 adheres thereto due to surface tension in the form of a meniscus 52, Figure 6. It is desirable to remove a portion of meniscus 52 prior to deposition of the liquid sample on to a test element, in order to avoid potential flooding of the element. Referring to Figures 6 and 7, cover 16 is extended a distance L3 from the remainder of container 2 by extending arms 38, Figure 6, and is then pivoted about pivot axis -B- (Figure 4) allowing cover 16 to be positioned alongside of knife edge 44, Figure 7. Liquid-supporting surface 22 is then drawn across surface of knife edge 44, per arrows 53, Figure 7, by additionally pivoting arms 38 about axis -B- so that excess liquid in the form of meniscus 52 can be scraped away. The amount of liquid 54 remaining within grooves 28 following this operation, is preferably sufficient to coat the test surface area of a test element 56, Figure 9. In addition to removing excess liquid, the energy supplied by drawing knife edge 44 against grooved surface 22 assists in removing any residual air pockets formed within grooves 28, allowing them to be filled with liquid 54 by capillary action. Note that other removal means, such as wicking using absorbant material or other scraping means may be used to remove the excess material. Referring to Figures 8 and 9, the still extended arms 38 are then pivoted about pivot axis -B-(Figure 8) until cover 16 is positioned directly below the remainder of container 2, preferably at length L3. Cover 16 is then preferably rotated about pivot axis -A- until liquid-supporting, or anterior surface 22 is facing in a downward direction, or facing in a direction opposite to that of the remainder of container 2, for aligning with a test element 56. Test element 56, Figure 9, is defined by a support frame 60, and a chemistry portion 58 containing at least one dried chemistry reactant layer. In the embodiment illustrated, chemistry portion 58 is made up of a first top reactant layer 62 positioned above a second reactant layer 64, each being positioned upon a support 66. The top reactant layer can be a reagent layer, or alternatively be a spreading layer such as that described in US-A-3 992 158. A test surface area S is defined within chemistry portion 58 having a diameter D3. After cover 16 has been rotated to align it with test element 56, arms 38 are preferably retracted so that cover 16 is brought into contact with the remainder of container 2 to provide a more solid support. As noted above, expansion of exterior surface 14 has occurred due to liquid swelling within filter 12. By extending sidewalls 4 vertically as shown by lip 26, however, second end 20 will not contact the expanded exterior surface 14. Other alternate means of modifying either second end 20 or container 2 may be employed. For example, second end 20 could be designed with a recessed surface (not shown) to avoid contacting surface 14 when cover 16 has been rotated. The entire assembled container 2 is then lowered by means (not shown) until grooves 28 are placed into compressive contact with chemistry portion 58. As a downward compressive force F1, shown by arrow 68, is applied, liquid 54 contained within grooves 28 is transferred directly and all at once to the test surface area S of test element 56. The surface area of liquid supporting surface 22 is preferably sized to be at least equal to test surface area S so that liquid can be transferred all at once to test element 56. In the embodiment illustrated, a compressive force F1 of 0.14N (0.5ozf) is adequate to transfer liquid 54 to test element 56 without damaging the fragile chemistry portion 58. Container 2 can then be lifted away from test element 56 by any convenient means (not shown), leaving surface area S wetted with liquid. It can be seen that multiple tests can then be performed using a single container as described. Furthermore, by transferring a filtered liquid to the entirety of the test surface area of a test element as described, there is no further need for providing multiple disposable pipette tips. In addition, it is not required that a predetermined amount of liquid be added to the container in that a specific amount of sample is delivered to the entirety of the test element, the amount delivered being dependent on the configuration of the liquid-supporting surface. Furthermore, it should be apparent that literally any liquid could be transferred using a container and the method described herein. For example, a quantity of an already separated biological liquid, such as serum, could be added to the container wherein the filter could serve as a means for supporting a quantity of liquid to be transferred to a test element. Another realized advantage is that the ability to transfer a volume of liquid uniformly and all at once to the entirety of a surface area as a surface-dispersed quantity to the test volume V of element 56 also negates the necessity for a horizontally diffusing spreading layer. Thereby, the manufacture of test slide elements, and in particular, the manufacture of the chemistry portion 58 contained therein is simplified.

Claims: A method for filtering a liquid sample of a patient and dispensing a quantity of filtered liquid on to a test surface (S) of a test element (56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66), the method comprising the steps of:- a) adding a patient liquid sample to filter means (10, 12) at a first end thereof; b) causing the liquid to pass through the filter means (10, 12) to an opposite end (14) which is wetted by the filtered liquid; c) temporarily closing off access to the wetted end (14) by the atmosphere; d) transferring at least some of the filtered liquid on the wetted end (14) to an applicator (22, 28, 30); and e) applying liquid on the applicator (22, 28, 30) to the test element (56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66) for testing in an analyser. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step e) comprises opening the closed off access by moving the applicator (22, 28, 30) away from the wetted end (14), rotating the applicator (22, 28, 30) to direct liquid transferred thereto away from the wetted end (14), and contacting the rotated applicator (22, 28, 30) with the test element (56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66). A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the step d) further comprises the step of contacting the wetted end (14) with an entire surface (22) of the applicator (22, 28, 30). A method according to claim 3, wherein step e) further comprises the step of placing the surface (22) in contact with the test surface area (S) of the test element (56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66). A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising the step of wiping excess liquid material from the applicator (22, 28, 30) prior to the step d). A method according to claim 1, wherein the applicator (22, 28, 30) comprises a cover (16, 18, 20, 22, 24) that is used in step c) to close off access, the cover having a liquid-supporting surface (22) for supporting a liquid thereon, and wherein step d) comprises the step of placing the liquid-supporting surface (22) in contact with the meniscus (52) on the filter means (10, 12). A method according to claim 6, wherein the cover (16, 18, 20, 22, 24) is movably attachable to a body portion (4), the method further comprising the steps of disengaging the cover (16, 18, 20, 22, 24) from the body portion (4) after step d), positioning the transfer element (22, 28, 30) to align the liquid-supporting surface (22) with the test surface (S) of the test element (56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66), and re-engaging the cover (16, 18, 20, 22, 24) with the body portion (4) prior to step e). A method according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the body portion (4) comprises removal means (44) for removing excess material from the liquid-supporting surface (22), the removal means (44) comprising a knife edge attached to the body portion (4), the method further comprising the steps of positioning the liquid-supporting surface (22) adjacent the knife edge (44) and scraping the liquid-supporting surface (22) thereagainst. A method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the test element (56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66) comprises a plastic supporting frame (60) and a test volume (V) comprising at least one dried reagent layer (62, 64) disposed on the supporting frame (60), and wherein step e) further comprises the step of placing the liquid-supporting surface (22) into compressive contact with the at least one dried reagent layer (62, 64), thereby transferring the liquid as a surface-dispersed quantity without the need for extensive horizontal flow over the test volume (V) of the test element (56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66). A method according to any one of claims 6 to 9, further comprising the step of venting air from the liquid-supporting surface (22) prior to step d). A container (2) for filtering and dispensing a biological liquid comprising :- a body portion (4) having an entrance opening (7) and an exit opening (8); filter means (10, 12) disposed between the entrance opening (7) and the exit opening (8), the filter means (10, 12) having a surface (14) adjacent the exit opening (8) and wettable with the filtered liquid; a cover section (16, 18, 20, 22, 24) for closing off access of the wetted surface (14) from the atmosphere; and transfer means (22, 28, 30) for transferring liquid from the wettable surface (14) to a test element (56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66); characterised in that the transfer means (22, 28, 30) comprises a surface (22) capable of supporting a quantity of filtered liquid thereon for transferring a surface-dispersed quantity all at once to the test surface area (S) of the test element (56, 58, 60, 62, 64). A container according to claim 11, wherein the transfer surface (22, 28, 30) comprises a plurality of grooves (28) extending over substantially the entirety of the transfer surface (22, 28, 30), the grooves (28) being sized to support a sufficient quantity of a body fluid to effectively coat the test surface area (S) of the test element (56, 58, 60, 62, 64). A container according to claim 12, wherein the grooves (28) are arranged in a diamond-like configuration over the transfer surface (22). A container according to any one of claims 11 to 13, further comprising removal means (44) for removing excess liquid material from the transfer means (22, 28, 30). A container according to claim 14, wherein the removal means (44) comprises a knife edge disposed on the body portion (4). A container according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the cover section (16, 18, 20, 22, 24) includes the transfer means (22, 28, 30). A container according to any one of claims 11 to 16, further comprising attachment means (38, 40, 42) for movably attaching the cover section (16, 18, 20, 22, 24) to the body portion (4). A container according to claim 17, wherein the attachment means (38, 40, 42) comprises means for rotating the transfer means (22, 28, 30) so as to align the surface (22) with the wettable surface (10) and the test element (56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66).

Inventors: JACOBS MERRIT N, JACOBS, MERRIT N., JACOBS, MERRIT N., C/O EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
Applicants: JOHNSON & JOHNSON CLIN DIAG, JOHNSON & JOHNSON CLINICAL DIAGNOSTICS, INC.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: G01N35
IPC codes: G01N1, G01F19, G01N33, G01N35